Africa Campaign on Disability and HIV & AIDS Report

The Second General Meeting of the Africa Campaign on Disability and HIV & AIDS was held on March 11-13, 2008, in Kampala, Uganda. The gathering was hosted by the National Union for Disabled People in Uganda (NUDIPU) and the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. The national organizing committee was responsible for the sterling planning and smooth running of the meeting and Handicap International, the Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities and NUDIPU supported the meeting.

Some 177 participants representing Disabled People’s Organizations (DPO), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) working with and for the persons with disabilities, Government, Funding and Development Agencies, civil society organisations, academic and research institutions, international stakeholders in HIV/AIDS work and the media from 23 African countries and 10 countries outside of Africa converged to share, debate and agree on common actions to be taken to encourage and claim the active participation of Africans with disabilities in the response to HIV/AIDS.

In addition to networking and rich exchange among groups and countries, the constitution of five working groups that will actively engage in five key performance areas (communication, research, UNGASS, ICASA, Access to HIV/AIDS prevention care, support and outreach services). The groups developed with action plans to further the Campaign objectives, a renewed steering committee, we also gave birth together to the Kampala Declaration on Disability and HIV&AIDS. (Full text is appended to this report)

The declaration calls on governments, HIV/AIDS service providers, the African Union, UN agencies, funding agencies, research and academic institutions and disabled people's organizations to action toward
• Equal access to HIV/AIDS prevention and services and
• Full participation by persons with disabilities in the response to HIV/AIDS in every country and at every level.

[Summary taken from document]